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HATTIESBURG — With Hattiesburg High School’s 5-0 lead dwindled down to just one run in the top of the third inning, 20^th-year head coach Brent Barham needed to make what turned out to be an important pitching change to halt Cathedral High School’s momentum.

But it was not a change from one of his players to an upperclassman. In fact, it was just the opposite. Tigers senior Snoop Page had given up four runs with no outs in the Green Wave’s half of the third and was replaced by sophomore JB Bryant.

Bryant not only got Hattiesburg out of that jam, but he held Cathedral to just one run over the final five innings as the MHSAA Class 6A Tigers pulled away late to defeat the MAIS Class 5A Green Wave 8-5 last Monday afternoon.

In his five innings of relief, Bryant was the winning pitcher as he gave up one earned run, and that wasn’t until the top of the sixth inning, scattered four hits, strike out six batters, and walked just two. It was still a 5-4 game until the Tigers scored two insurance runs off Green Wave reliever Eli Wilson in the bottom of the fifth inning to give them a 7-4 lead. Each team scored one run in the sixth inning to make it an 8-5 game, but Cathedral could get no closer.

Page pitched well in holding a good-hitting Cathedral team off the scoreboard in the first two innings. Hattiesburg scored five innings off starting pitcher Owen Jordan in the bottom of the first. Tyler Weatherspoon was hit by a pitch to bring in a run. Jacob Polk had the biggest blow with a two-run double. Then a dropped third strike allowed the Tigers to score another run. Quentin Reuben hit into a double play, but the runner at third was able to cross home plate.

It remained 5-0 until the Green Wave turned what could have been an easy win for the Tigers into a much closer game than even the home team would have expected. Page ended up lasting two-plus innings and gave up four runs, all of them earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks.

Jordan was charged with the loss on the mound for the Green Wave as he allowed five runs, all of them earned, on three hits with five strikeouts, four walks, and three hit batters. Cathedral lost the game despite out-hitting Hattiesburg eight to five.

Landon French and Tristan Fondren led Cathedral at the plate as each of them went 2-for-3 with one run scored. Fred Lane scored the other run for the Green Wave. Drake Cox was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks while Doug Smith was 1-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Jordan as well as Tripp Wimberly each 1-for-4 with Wimberly driving in one run. Despite going 0-for-2, Houston Edwards drew a walk and scored one run.

Weatherspoon and Polk provided much of the hitting and scoring for Hattiesburg. Weatherspoon went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two runs scored, two stolen baes, and was hit by a pitch twice. Polk was 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and was walked once.

With the loss, Cathedral dropped to 13-12 overall. The Green Wave looked to finish the regular season on a winning note when they played host to Hattiesburg High School at Chester Willis Field at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday for a varsity-only match-up.

Cathedral finished as the No. 2 seed out of MAIS District 4-5A and will go up against the No. 3 seed from District 3-5A in a best-of-three first-round series next week in the Class 5A South State Playoffs.